“You smell so good.”
Nanshan grew increasingly warm, his words slurred as his lips brushed lightly against Ling Ye’s face.
The wine brewed by the ghost of desire grew stronger in the presence of strength.
In just a short while, Ling Ye felt the intoxication spreading through his entire body.
As his mind grew hazy, a certain someone climbed onto him, using both hands and feet, sniffing wildly at his neck like a little puppy.
He prided himself on his self-control, yet at this moment, even he felt his restraint slipping.
After struggling internally for a long time, he barely managed to pull Nanshan away a little.
“Mm…”
Nanshan tilted her head up to look at him, her slightly furrowed brows silently accusing his actions.
Ling Ye’s throat was dry.
After a long pause, he finally rasped, “Do you know what you’re doing?”
With that, he channeled a bit of spiritual energy into her forehead.
Nanshan’s mind cleared slightly, and she finally realized something was wrong.
“That jar of wine…?”
“I already told you not to drink anything from the ghost of desire. Why didn’t you listen?”
Ling Ye’s face was stern, but the hands gripping her arms had already begun to sweat.
“I forgot.”
Nanshan’s eyes were unfocused.
“I just wanted to drink a little, and there just happened to be a jar in the room…”
The intoxication was too potent.
Even after regaining clarity, it was only for a fleeting moment.
In the next instant, Ling Ye appeared even more irresistible in Nan Shan’s eyes, making her want to take a bite out of him.
And so, she did.
Her lips wrapped around his earlobe, and her teeth bit down hard.
Ling Ye inhaled sharply, and in the next moment, he felt the wine’s effects surging through his body, merging completely with his spiritual energy, roaring in search of an outlet.
His eyes reddened.
Clenching his jaw, he forcibly pulled Nan Shan away again.
Blood stained her lips, and she let out a dissatisfied hum, still attempting to burrow into his embrace.
Ignoring the blood dripping from his ear, Ling Ye awkwardly restrained her in his arms.
In the instant their bodies pressed together, both of them momentarily stopped breathing, their movements gradually coming to a halt.
“…Ling Ye,” Nanshan, still muddled, reached out to touch his face. Her gaze was focused and serious.
“I feel itchy. Uncomfortable.”
Ling Ye thought he was holding her too tightly, so he loosened his grip.
“How about now?”
Nanshan let out a soft hum, pressing her forehead against his collarbone.
“Still itchy.”
“Where?”
Her breath seeped through his clothes, and Ling Ye’s rationality teetered on the edge.
But he still held onto the last sliver of restraint.
A muffled thunderclap rumbled outside.
The underworld, which had been clear for days, suddenly poured with rain.
Hearing his question, Nanshan didn’t know how to describe the feeling.
Instead, she simply grabbed his hand and guided him to the source of the “rain.”
With that bold move, Ling Ye’s last shred of self-control went up in flames.
The hands that had just released her tightened around her once more.
The rain outside was too heavy.
The sound of raindrops drowned out all the heat and sweat in the room.
A bolt of lightning split the sky.
Nanshan, sluggishly following the flash of light, turned to look at the window, but all she could see was the white paper pasted over it.
“Is it here?” Ling Ye asked uncertainly.
Nanshan was dazed.
“I don’t know…”
At this moment, she had sobered up a little, but new and unfamiliar sensations overwhelmed her, making even her fingertips tingle lazily.
She simply let herself drift along with the current.
Too hot.
Too much sweat.
Exhausted.
A little sore.
But also… strangely comfortable.
These were the last sensations Nanshan felt before slipping into unconsciousness.
***
When her consciousness gradually returned, she hadn’t even opened her eyes before an aching soreness spread throughout her body.
She frowned and groaned in pain, struggling to open her eyes.
As her pupils focused, a pair of strikingly beautiful eyes, naturally carrying a hint of amusement, met hers directly.
Nanshan was silent for a long time.
Without a word, she pulled the blanket up, trying to hide her shoulders, which were covered in red marks.
Xi Yuan’s lips curled slightly, his expression both amused and unreadable.
“I gave you one day to remove the tracking spell, and this is how you decided to do it?”
“You…” Nanshan opened her mouth, only to realize her voice was hoarse.
Clearing her throat, she tried to speak calmly.
“Let me explain.”
Xi Yuan truly did sit down by the bed, straightening his luxurious robe before leaning leisurely against the pillow.
“Go ahead, explain.”
“…Can I put on some clothes first?” Nanshan attempted to bargain.
Suddenly, Xi Yuan leaned in.
The rich scent of rare spices overwhelmed her senses, momentarily overpowering the lingering fruity fragrance left by Ling Ye on the pillow.
“You’ve already shared a bed with the Underworld’s young master, yet you won’t even let me see your body? Isn’t that a little unfair, Miss Nanshan?”
His voice carried a teasing lilt.
Strands of his silver-gray hair, streaked with red, cascaded down and draped over Nanshan’s collarbone.
She pushed his hair away and shrank further under the blanket.
Just as she was about to speak, Xi Yuan had already stood up.
He picked up a fan, using it to nudge the neatly folded clothes from the chair toward her.
Nanshan quickly snatched them and dragged them under the blanket.
Seeing that he wasn’t turning away, she hardened her heart and simply dressed under the covers.
Xi Yuan watched her with obvious amusement.
“I came today specifically to take you away. But with the tracking spell still in place, how am I supposed to do that?”
“If worst comes to worst, I’ll just kill you and take your bones back. Surely Yan Yue’s tracking spell isn’t engraved on your bones, is it?”
Had he said this the first time they met, Nanshan would have been terrified.
But after dealing with him a few times, she knew he wanted to take her alive.
So she wasn’t too flustered.
By the time she finished dressing, she had also straightened out her thoughts.
“I told you before—one day isn’t enough to remove the tracking spell. You just wouldn’t listen.”
Nanshan walked hurriedly, reaching the door and pulling it open.
Outside, Ling Ye’s hand was already raised, almost knocking on her forehead.
The two locked eyes, and Nanshan froze for a moment.
“You… how come… again?”
“Sorry.”
Ling Ye calmly withdrew his hand and immediately apologized.
Nanshan tilted her head.
“What?”
Ling Ye had a lot he wanted to say.
He wanted to admit that he was wrong, that he not only ignored her feelings about being separated from her family for the first time, but also forced her to worry about the wedding while she was in a bad mood.
He also wanted to say that as her fiancé, he was irresponsible, which was why she pretended to be indifferent to the wedding to annoy him.
He had many things he wanted to say, but in this moment, when he looked into Nanshan’s eyes, only one impulse remained.
“Come with me.”
He reached out his hand to her.
“Huh?”
Nanshan held his fingers with a puzzled expression.
“Where are we going… ah!”
The scenery around them rapidly blurred, turning into streaks of light and shadow, and the roaring wind howled in their ears, as if it would devour all things.
Nanshan, panicking, buried her face in Ling Ye’s chest, trying to escape the strange phenomena they were experiencing.
Ling Ye, while running swiftly with the wind, lowered his gaze but could only see her ears, faintly pink.
They finally landed back on the ground after an hour.
Nanshan, still shaken, pushed away Ling Ye and ran to a big tree, gagging.
Ling Ye, seeing her reaction, looked confused.
“I didn’t run too fast.”
“Everything flew up! How could it not be fast?”
Nanshan was gagging, but she hadn’t eaten anything that morning, so she couldn’t throw up.
She ended up crying, tears streaming down her face.
Suddenly, her attention was drawn to the village behind him.
She looked up at him, about to complain a bit more.
Although it was afternoon, every house had smoke rising from their chimneys, and the air was filled with the scent of burning firewood and firecrackers.
Groups of children ran through alleys, hiding firecrackers beneath dog bowls and lighting them.
The firecrackers exploded with a loud noise, sending the bowls flying into the air, leaving the yellow dog by the door staring confusedly.
The noise quickly attracted a few adults chatting nearby.
Upon seeing the children causing mischief, they immediately scolded them.
The children, with dirty faces, took the scolding in stride, and after the adults turned away, they resumed laughing and playing.
Nanshan smiled, but her eyes were a bit teary.
The complicated emotions piled up, and she felt a little at a loss.
“Let’s go,” Ling Ye reminded her, and seeing she was still standing there, he took the initiative to hold her hand.
Nanshan, still in a daze, didn’t notice how awkward and stiff his hand felt when he reached for hers.
It wasn’t until he started pulling her toward the village that she suddenly came to her senses.
“Didn’t you say…?”
She tightened her grip on his hand, stopping him, “Didn’t you say there might be other immortals’ lookout posts around the village? Isn’t it better for me not to return home?”
“I personally checked before bringing you here.”
Ling Ye said, looking at their joined hands, explaining with great patience, “There are only people from the underworld guarding here now. The news of our marriage has spread throughout the three realms, and those who covet your spirit bone probably think you’re preparing for the wedding in the underworld. They certainly didn’t expect you to suddenly return to the mortal realm.”
“But…”
“No buts. I said it’s safe, and it is safe,” Ling Ye said, and as if realizing his tone was too firm, he paused before adding, “Trust me, nothing will happen.”
Nanshan stared at him for a long while, took a deep breath, and suddenly smiled, shaking his hand.
“Ling Ye, why don’t you come visit my home?”
Ling Ye’s lips curved into a slight smile.